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Monday, December 11, 2006

Potato cakes packed with nutrition...

With using pounds of butter and sugar to get the gifts ready to send out next week, I've been looking to keep dinner on the lighter side. Instead of using our new favorite grain in a typical salad or tabbouleh, we took a different approach with Quinoa in the recipe tonight for these Quinoa and Potato Croquettes.

Since you only need one potato in the recipe, it can be quickly and efficiently cooked in the microwave instead of bothering to boil or bake it. As you wait for the potato to cool and the quinoa to cook, green onions, cilantro, chopped jalapeno, smoky cumin, oregano, and garlic are sautéed until fragrant. The potato is peeled and mashed, then combined with the protein-packed quinoa, mildly spiced onion mixture, some sharp cheddar and a bit of drained cottage cheese. An egg is added to help hold the ingredients together and the mixture is then easily formed into large round patties. To ensure the outside stays crunchy, each one is dredged in a coating of panko breadcrumbs. Since the rounds are a touch tacky, the panko easily grabs hold without the need to dip them in any liquid first.

They first go for a quick chill in the refrigerator to make handling them a little easier - when firm, we slid them into a hot skillet until each side achieves a golden color. Warm, moist and creamy on the inside paired against the crisp outside, these croquettes are very filling with the addition of nutty quinoa. Be sure to use a full-flavored sharp cheddar, otherwise the flavor might get lost. Next time, I think I would add a bit more oil to the pan as it was pretty dry when I went to flip them over.